Status: WBA Welterweight champion defends his title on Saturday in Atlantic City against Alfonso Gomez (televised by HBO).
Ht: 5-8 Wt: 147
DOB: October 29, 1980 In: Caguas, Puerto Rico
Childhood Heroes: "It's hard to believe but I never really followed boxing when I was a kid. I didn't know who the fighters were at the time. Every time I turn on boxing I like boxing and I enjoy boxing and, to me, it's just a fun sport."
Age Started Boxing: "I started boxing at 11."
Hobbies/Interests: "I'm a homebody. I stay along with my family a lot. I spend a lot of time with my family. Maybe reading. Taking it easy. I don't really do much."
Favorite Movie: "Men of Honor."
Musical Tastes: "I like everything."
Early Boxing Memory: "You know, when I took this up, I took it up to lose weight. I got into boxing just to lose weight [smiles]. I ended up making it my career. When I think back about it, I think about how going to lose some weight turned into a career for me."
Pre-Fight Feeling: "I think about what I have to do to win the fight. I think about my family that depends on me so much for me to win the fight. And all the work everyone around me has done. I have all the responsibility and I want to do well for them."
Pre-Fight Meal: "Pasta, some pasta."
Favorite Meal: "Anything my mom makes."
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Vanilla."
First Job: "I never worked. Thanks to my family who's always been into boxing, that's all I've ever done."
First Car: "Ford Escort (black)."
Current Car: "I have a Mercedes (black)."
Greatest Sports Moment: "Without a doubt, September 11, 2004 - when my dream came true of winning the world championship (TKO 6 Kelson Pinto in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico)."
Most Painful Moment: "I had an automobile accident. And it looked like my career was over at that point. And I look back at that as one of my most painful moments because I thought that I was done. Before I even started."
Embarrassing Boxing Moment: "No. I wouldn't say I had any embarrassing or anything like that in boxing. I think you have some bad moments in boxing but I don't think I had a very embarrassing moment."
Funny Boxing Memory: "You know what? I always took it so seriously. I was being serious about my work and I don't find anything in the ring or outside the ring when I'm working I think that's funny. It's just work."
Childhood Dream(s): "That's hard to tell. Like I told you, I didn't really think about going into boxing as a career as being a dream. I didn't really think about anything. I didn't know what I was gonna be. I didn't know what I was gonna do. But right now - once I got into boxing - that was my dream."
Favorite Boxers To Watch: "I never actually saw him live or anything, but they were showing me tapes of Wilfredo Gomez and that guy was really good. And I enjoy watching those old videos of him."
Favorite Fights: "Fights like the Wilfredo Gomez-Carlos Zarate fight. Barrera-Morales fight. De La Hoya-Quartey. Trinidad-Vargas. Those are the fights that I remember, fights that are good."
Toughest Man You Faced: "Ricardo Torres. I didn't expect it to be so tough and to go back and forth like it did. I'm glad people saw that I can take a punch and fight back. All the time I was thinking, I had to win the fight, no matter how. I didn't care how I won, I had to win. This is the first time I've been knocked down. We lived all the things a boxer can live. Now I've been through all a great fighter must go through. All the adversity inside the ring and I still won the fight."
Last Holiday: "Two weeks after my fight with Urkal. I stay in Puerto Rico, but a few places in Puerto Rico."
People Qualities Most Admired: "I think if you're humble, as long as you understand to be humble. I think that's all I ask for in a person."
